Love
by dissolves
Summary: He hated the day when lovers strolled through the streets and children exchanged small gifts. It was all so repulsive to him. Can a certain kunoichi change his view of this day?


_A/N: Just a short Valentine's Day oneshot that doesn't really focus on the day. It is my first Gaara/Sakura oneshot, however. Please be nice and review! _

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto... **

_Summary: He hated the day when lovers strolled through the streets and children exchanged small gifts. It was all so repulsive to him. Can a certain kunoichi change his view of this day?__

* * *

Love _

He hated the day dedicated to lovers and friends. He despised the day dedicated to love. It was all so repulsive to him. He, Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of the Sand Village, had no use for such a day. He considered it a waste of time. People spent ridiculous amounts of money on chocolate, stuffed animals, and cards only to have those gifts thrown in the trash the next day. They were all viewed as idiots in his eyes.

Gaara sat alone on a bench situated in a park, observing the people around him with cold, green eyes. Why was he sitting in the park instead of lazing in his temporary residence, you ask? That was a simple question to answer. It was impossible to be in the same house as Temari when her boyfriend, Nara Shikamaru, was also with her. If he had stayed any longer, he might have been scarred for life by the scenarios provided by his mind accompanied by audio.

He sighed and shifted on the uncomfortable bench. His wandering gaze was drawn to a couple sitting under a nearby tree on a blanket. They were all cuddled up to each other, the girl occasionally laughing at whatever the boy was whispering in her ear. Gaara made a face and tore his gaze away from the disgusting scene before he gagged. The kindness in the atmosphere was almost overwhelming.

His gaze landed on another couple, and another. Wherever he looked there was a couple hugging, kissing, etc. He really didn't want to elaborate. Frowning, the Kazekage promptly shut his eyes. He feared looking around anymore might injure them. He rested his head on the top of the bench and let his tense body relax. A soft breeze began blowing.

Just as he was starting to think escaping to the park hadn't been such a bad idea after all, he sensed someone standing in front of his slouched body.

"Um, excuse me, Kazekage-sama,"

It was the soft voice of a young woman.

Gaara opened his eyes and inwardly groaned.

The girl standing before him held a bright pink card in her hands; it was obviously for him.

"Please accept this!" She said, turning red, holding the hideous thing out to him.

Ah, how did he know? It was instinct.

Having a group of fan girls made you develop skills so you knew when to run and when it was safe to listen to what they had to say.

While the girl admired his features, Gaara had an inner debate.

He could _accept_ the girl's valentine and give himself a popularity boost; not that he needed or wanted one. This would mean acquiring a new mob of Konoha fan girls who would follow him everywhere.

On the other hand, if he _refused_ it, she might begin crying. They just couldn't handle rejection. Gaara might have seen many nasty things in his life, but he never got used to girls crying. The girl would run off in tears and twisted words would eventually reach Tsunade, Konoha's Hokage, that he had 'verbally abused' the girl. Said woman would then attempt to hurt him as she did to the pervert Sannin when he annoyed her, all the while lecturing him on the fragility of girls' feelings.

How did he know that would happen? Another easy question to answer. The same had happened in Sunagakure. The whole village must have heard Temari as she yelled, no, shrieked, at him.

Gaara sighed and opted for option #2, deciding to take his chances with the fan girls.

He reached out and gingerly grabbed the card, noticing the ribbons on it for the first time. The girl looked ready to drop dead right where she stood. Thankfully, she just bowed and ran off grinning like an idiot, no doubt to look for her friends.

As soon as he was sure the girl was far away, he chucked the card over his shoulder. He sighed again, closing his eyes, and was about to resume his previous stance when he sensed someone else approaching. He opened his eyes, preparing himself for another fan girl. But he stopped as his eyes met a pair of green ones, almost identical to his own except for the fact that they sparkled with life and kindness.

He caught sight of the Konoha ninja headband and the pink strands of hair covering it. He breathed a sight of relief that went unnoticed by the kunoichi.

"Ohayo, Kazekage-sama," Said Haruno Sakura politely. "May I sit with you?"

Gaara nodded his consent and scooted over, moving his sand gourd out of the way in the process. Sakura sat down leaving a few feet of space between them, well aware of how Gaara felt about closeness to people.

"Don't be so formal, Haruno." Said Gaara. He glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "The whole 'Kazekage–sama' thing makes me twitch."

Sakura smiled. "Call me Sakura and I'll call you Gaara," She replied. "Only if it's alright with you,"

"It's alright." Grunted Gaara.

"So," Began Sakura. "What brought you to the park?"

"Temari," Came his short reply.

"Ah, I see." She said, smirking.

He looked at her and noticed the bag she held. "What's in there?" He asked.

She looked down at it and started. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She exclaimed, reaching down and pulling something out of it. She held it out to him. It was a small green box of chocolates with a plain card attached to it. Her neat, small print was visible on the card. His name was written on it. It was obvious she had several more in the bag.

His brow furrowed as he stared at the box. Even she was into the whole Valentine's Day thing. At least hers isn't pink, thought Gaara as he accepted it.

"You don't like today, do you?" Asked Sakura.

"No, that's not—" He was cut off by her. "It's alright." She said. "But you should like it."

Gaara scoffed. "It's a pointless day."

"It's not pointless." She retorted. "You get to spend time with friends and pig out on sweets." She grinned. "Or don't you like sweets?"

He ignored her comment and proceeded to stare a hole into a tree. After a few minutes of silence, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Turning to her, he was surprised to see how close she was. Oh, she had definitely crossed the line that marked his boundaries of personal space.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm just telling you I need to go now." She replied. "I called your name several times but you didn't answer."

"Oh," He must've space out. That happened sometimes and he hated it. He must have looked like an idiot. Wait, why did he care?

"Well, bye." She said.

"Good bye." He turned away and continued staring at the tree. He felt her stand up but she stopped as she began walking away.

Curious, he looked at her. He started as lips pressed against his. They were warm and soft. They were _hers_. Sakura hurriedly pulled away, blushing. "Sorry, I meant to kiss your cheek." She murmured. "I'm not sorry," Said Gaara. She looked up, surprised, before smiling.

"So, do you still hate today?" She asked.

Gaara shrugged. "Maybe…" Sakura sighed. He would never change.

A loud voice broke the moment.

"Oi, wait 'till everyone finds out Gaara kissed Sakura!"

The Kazekage lunged at the blue eyed shinobi, sand at hand.

"Gaara, no! You can't kill Naruto on Valentine's Day!"


End file.
